He helped turn a niche Brazilian food concept into a fast-casual success in NYC and Miami, with no culinary school, no business degree, and zero restaurant experience.

In this episode of Chai Tea with Nina D, we sit down with Pedro Uchoa, a former pro soccer player and marketing executive who left behind a stable corporate career in Brazil to help grow Tap, a 100% gluten-free, Brazilian fast-casual brand founded by a friend and run by his younger brother.

What began as a small family-run shop evolved into a mission-driven brand, bringing authentic Brazilian staples like tapioca, açaí, and pão de queijo to American audiences, without compromising on health, flavor, or cultural integrity. Pedro shares how discipline, reinvention, and trust helped him lead through uncertainty and scale a business in one of the most competitive food markets in the world.

💡 What You'll Learn:

• How to grow a brand with no industry background

• The immigrant hustle mindset that fuels Pedro's leadership

• Why gluten-free became the brand's unexpected superpower

• How to scale without losing cultural authenticity

• The realities of running a business with family

• What it really takes to build in New York, and win

What if wealth isn't something you earn but something you align with?

In this powerful solo episode of Chai Tea with Nina D., Nina dives deeper into the mindset shift that transformed her relationship with money, success, and fulfillment. Building on themes from Episode 8, she unpacks the energetic principles behind abundance and how tuning into the right frequency can change everything.

Discover how your energy, not just your effort, shapes your reality. Nina shares real-life observations, lessons from entrepreneurs and thought leaders, and personal rituals that have helped her stay grounded, grateful, and aligned with prosperity. Whether you're chasing your first big goal or redefining success on your own terms, this episode will give you the inner tools to thrive.

• Why money is energy, and how to align with it

• The #1 mindset shift that unlocks abundance

• How your emotions shape your financial reality

• The difference between doing and being

• Daily habits to raise your vibration and attract more

• Why gratitude and presence are magnetic to opportunity

💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

In this empowering episode of Chai Tea with Nina D, Monica Dell Valle shares her inspiring journey of personal reinvention and resilience post-divorce. Monica and Nina dive deep into her experiences of opening the 'Break Free' studio in Miami, navigating a difficult yet revealing relationship with a much younger man, and finding strength through family, faith, and fitness.

Monica speaks candidly about her Cuban-American heritage and the challenges of caring for her disabled brother. This episode is a testament to the power of embracing change and stepping into one's own power, providing valuable insights for anyone looking to break free from their own limitations.

What You'll Learn:

• The importance of faith in navigating life's transitions

• How to harness self-love and personal strength post-divorce

• Insights into building and expanding a wellness business

• The transformative power of yoga and community

• Balancing motherhood with personal growth and business ambitions

💻Watch on YouTube

📱Watch on Spotify

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts

Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

In this solo episode, Nina breaks down the study habits that actually worked: from rewiring your memory with active recall to using breathwork and movement to stay focused under pressure. Whether you're studying for finals, a big exam, or just want to retain more of what you read, this is your permission slip to stop doing it the hard way.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The brain-based technique that replaced rereading

• How teaching what you learn boosts retention

• Why spaced repetition works (and how to use it)

• How to set up your space to actually focus

• Tools for anxiety, motivation, and memory

• Why movement is a non-negotiable for clarity

💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

From sleeping in a kitchen in Milan to running one in Miami, this is the story of a chef who built his dream from the ground up.

In this episode, Chef Luigi shares his journey from humble beginnings to opening a restaurant in a new country. He opens up about burnout, sacrifice, and staying true to his roots in an industry obsessed with speed and hype. Whether you're a foodie, entrepreneur, or someone chasing a dream, his story will remind you why grit matters more than glamour.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What it takes to build a business from nothing

• Why staying passionate is harder than it looks

• The culture clash between Italian food and American trends

• How burnout nearly broke him, and what brought him back

• Why honoring your craft is the ultimate success

🎧 New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday Real conversations on purpose, identity, creativity & growth.

🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@chaiteawithninad 📱 Spotify | 🎧 Apple Podcasts 📲 Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily gems

In this solo episode, Nina shares her favorite wellness rituals and tools for feeling grounded, clear, and energized. From sesame oil and saffron tea to red noise and nervous system resets, these are the products and practices she returns to, without perfection, and without the overwhelm.

Whether you're burned out or just curious what's actually worth trying, this episode is a real-world guide to modern wellness that puts results over rigidity.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Nina's go-to products for better sleep and digestion

• The breathwork that changed her anxiety

• Natural tools to calm your nervous system

• Why multitasking is secretly draining your energy

• How to simplify your routine—and still feel amazing

New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday. Honest conversations on health, identity, growth, and purpose.

🔔 Subscribe: youtube.com/@chaiteawithninad 📱 Watch on Spotify | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📲 Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for daily gems + BTS

Can you be a model and still feel insecure about your body?

In this honest and vulnerable conversation, international model Barbara opens up about what it really means to live in a world where your image is your brand. From comparing herself to her own edited photos to feeling pressure to stay relevant in the influencer era, she shares the mental and emotional toll behind the industry's glamorous façade.

Barbara also breaks down the shift from traditional modeling to digital influence and why authenticity might be the new currency of confidence.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why models struggle with self-image, too

• The real difference between modeling and influencing

• How the pressure to stay visible affects mental health

• What it's like to chase an idealized version of yourself

• Why authenticity might be the future of beauty

New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday.

Real conversations on identity, growth, beauty, and creative resilience.

Trying to simplify a woman is like trying to simplify nature. It only leads to imbalance.

In this powerful solo episode, Nina shares a passionate take on why women were built to be multidimensional and how modern culture continues to penalize them for it. From Vedic texts to boardroom bias, she unpacks the ancient wisdom that celebrates complexity, and why society still struggles to accept women who lead, nurture, create, and evolve on their own terms.

Whether you're a mom, a CEO, an artist, or a mix of it all, this episode is a permission slip to stop explaining and start embracing every version of you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why women were never meant to fit in a box

• What nature teaches us about embracing our complexity

• How "consistency" has been weaponized against the feminine

• The value of living in cycles, not straight lines

• Why owning all of you is your greatest power

🎧 New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday

Honest conversations on identity, ambition, creativity, and purpose.

🔔 Subscribe: youtube.com/@chaiteawithninad

📱 Watch on Spotify

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts

📲 Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for daily gems + BTS

When Elyse's husband was diagnosed with cancer, she had to hold everything, her family, her business, and herself. But the hardest part wasn't the grief. It was the judgment.

In this unapologetic episode of Chai Tea with Nina D., Elyse shares the raw truth about what it takes to build success as a woman. From launching a brand during a pandemic to being a mother and showing up while her world unraveled behind the scenes, she explains how she kept going, not because it was easy, but because she had the right to.

This isn't about balance. It's about ownership. And what happens when women stop asking permission to lead.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to succeed as a woman without shrinking or explaining yourself

• Why judgment hurts more than the hard stuff

• The mindset shift that helped her build through crisis

• How to keep going—even when people expect you to break

• What real resilience looks like behind the scenes

🎧 New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday Honest conversations on ambition, leadership, identity, and purpose.

🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@chaiteawithninad 📱 Spotify | 🎧 Apple Podcasts 📲 Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS & daily gems

In this solo episode, Nina unpacks the difference between chasing quick hits of happiness and creating lasting alignment. From habits like overconsumption and burnout to the deeper patterns of identity, presence, and purpose, she shares how to shift from surviving your life to actually living it.

This episode is for anyone who's ever asked: "Why does everything look fine, but still feel off?"

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why happiness is fleeting but fulfillment lasts

• How to recognize when you're chasing dopamine instead of depth

• The small habits that create real peace and clarity

• How to build a life that feels aligned, not just impressive

• Why slowing down is the key to moving forward

New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday. Honest conversations on mindset, identity, alignment, and self-leadership.